Butler’s contract with the Chargers is a multi-tiered deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, the first three years of the pact are worth just under $20MM, and then the team will have an option to keep the linebacker for four additional years at between $8MM and $9.5MM per year. The first segment of the deal is currently guaranteed for about $12MM, while the second segment would be guaranteed for aobut $15MM if the team exercises the option, Rapoport adds in a second tweet.

So it's a rather confusing contract. It's a 3 yr 20 million (which is just under 7 mil/yr), and if chosen to keep it going it'll be another 4 yr deal at 8.75 mil/yr. Never seen something like this but could keep Butler a Charger (and a well paid one potentially) for nearly 7 years.

Rapports second tweet makes it sound like Butler is earning $12m in first year, which doesn't seem right. What you said is the garuentee for the first segment is $12m. Very confusing contract indeed. All we care about is the cap hit.

Butler’s contract with the Chargers is a multi-tiered deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, the first three years of the pact are worth just under $20MM, and then the team will have an option to keep the linebacker for four additional years at between $8MM and $9.5MM per year. The first segment of the deal is currently guaranteed for about $12MM, while the second segment would be guaranteed for aobut $15MM if the team exercises the option, Rapoport adds in a second tweet.

So it's a rather confusing contract. It's a 3 yr 20 million (which is just under 7 mil/yr), and if chosen to keep it going it'll be another 4 yr deal at 8.75 mil/yr. Never seen something like this but could keep Butler a Charger (and a well paid one potentially) for nearly 7 years.

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I like the team opt out angle a lot, if Butler continues to miss/leave 3, 4, 5 games every year we won't be married to him. Yet if he "goes Weddle" and takes that next step he can't hit free agency at the age of 28 and drive his price up.

It's at the high fringe of what he deserves, but not unfair at all to either side.

Ultimately ends up pretty similar to Ellerbe, but with a slightly lower guarantee. Interesting thing is he gives the Chargers quite a bit of value with the four year option.

Re-read Rappoport's second tweet where he says Butler gets $12 million in year one, $15 million over first two. That's actually $1 million more than Ellerbe gets over his first two years. That total certainly includes the signing bonus. I assume the contract is structured in such a way as to allow us to spread the first signing bonus over the maximum five years.

I thought the 3 years 20 million sounded like a high price but after looking at what other players at the position make it actually seems pretty fair for both parties. This makes him about the 13th highest paid ILB right now and if the chargers pick up those additional 4 years it would put him in that like 4-7th highest paid ILB range. Safe to say 2012 donald butler earned this deal, hope to see more of that guy in 2014